When to start selling and how!

[Zia]

Thanks Neil, and yes I have had soon good advice on here, on all my posts!

This is a great forum!

Unfortunately I live in Austria so wont be making much use of a kiln sold on here, the postage would cost a fortune! As many of the Austrians I know that bead dont anneal and those that do, wont sell, it seems I will have to buy a new one....but patience is a virtue...

And as I always keep telling my lil one...If there is a will there is a way!

thanks again
V

[beadysam]

Postage may not be that much actually.  You can have a box upto 25kg sent from here to the Netherlands by courier for £25 so I would have thought a kiln would be similar.

[flaming beads]

the best things come to those who wait!! i can't say this is always my motto, but...where there's a will there's a way is def a good one to.
i started selling mine in march this year and have watched the prices people pay go up, and come back for more because they like what they buy it's a very good feeling and nerve racking at the same time. pricing is sooo very hard i find. struggling with my website to be at the mo so ebay will be my place for now. although, saying that, i set up on etsy with another name a year or so ago, with the plan to sell my cards and jewellery on there...maybe i'll check to see if i still have it!?
other peoples advice is usually good but the general publics is the best i think. 
when you get your kiln, jump on in there and don't look back
would put pics on of two sets i made the other day and sold for £38 each...feelings of pleasure and guilt followed:-( but have no idea how to get them from my computer on to here? such a dimbo

[noora]

On this topic: I'm not even close to considering trying to sell my beads, but if someone for some reason would want to buy my ugly little practice beads, how should I price them? If I charge only the cost of the glass or some such, will the rest of the beadmakers in the world be mad at me? :-)

Or should I just fuse them into cabs and pretend they never existed as beads (and charge outrageous prices for the super special artwork cabs)? ;-)

[lemon kitten]

In addition, if you want to do bigger focals they are likely
to crack if not kiln annealed.

Marg x

Wot she said!  I annealed in my fathers kiln in batches, but as soon as I tried making lager or complex beads they just cracked before they ever got near the kiln. So frustrating  especially if you've used a lot of glass or taken a long time to get a beautiful result.  I began 18months ago, blind as a bat and thinking I could get away with the minimum amount of stuff, and for a while I did.  But as you improve you'll want to upgrade your equipment and add to it too.  As I said I began blindly...I had a HH and some prophane and some glass.  I now have A HUGE amount of glass (and I still want/need more)  Loads of tools, tons of frit, yards of stringers and twisites, about 6 presses, and I have an oxycon Minor Burner and a Kiln.  I felt that if I was selling my beads then I should offer some sort of quality and I could'nt, hand on heart sell stuff that I did'nt consider good quality.   Listen to what Sal says, she is absolutley right on all counts, (she was also my inspiration to start this mad hobby!!  )  You will be able to afford a kiln eventually, and to upgrade your stuff too.  As for when did I start selling, again like Sal said when I knew I would want to buy my beads and they met my standards of workmanship.

Janey x